LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 29/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations
You rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you
James 05/01-06: "And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days. You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty. Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent people, and they do not resist you".  

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 28-29/17
Divide & Conquer/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/November 28/17
Israel Lobbies UNIFIL Nations Against Hezbollah's Arms Ahead Of UN Debate/Jerusalem Post/November 28/17
The Regional Dimensions Of Hariri's Resignation: Will Iran & Hezbollah Compromise/Hanin Ghadder/War On The Rocks Site/November 28/17
Will Iran Collapse Like the Soviet Union/Karim Abdian Bani Saeed/Asharq Al Awsat/November 28/17
Iran’s Khamenei — the Middle East’s Hitler/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arabnews/November 28/17
France Submits to Terrorism, Muslim Anti-Semitism/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/November 28/17
Laundering Iran's Nukes - Again/A.J. Caschetta/Gatestone Institute/November 28/17
Erdogan's Interesting New Top Mayors/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/November 28/17
Why Mohammed bin Salman described Khamenei as ‘Hitler of the Middle East’/Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/November 28/17
Supporting Mohammed bin Salman vital for checking Iran, fighting extremism/Ted Gover/Al Arabiya/November 28/17
Abadi’s fate in six months/Adnan Hussein/Al Arabiya/November 28/17
Syria: Moment of truth in Geneva/Christian Chesnot/Al Arabiya/November 28/17

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on November 28-29/17
Top UK Defense Adviser Visits Lebanon, Vows Continued Support for Army
Hariri Threatens to Quit over Hizbullah Interference
Aoun Assures Hariri on Hizbullah's 'Neutrality' Intention
Aoun Slams Israel Violations of 1701, Says Optimistic on Political Crisis
Al-Rahi Says Aoun 'Contained' Crisis, Salutes Saudi Arabia
Mustaqbal Backs Hariri's Stance, Urges 'Respect for Lebanon's Arab Ties'
Kataeb Calls for Turning Current Crisis into 'Chance for Real Stability'
Army Arrests Three Drug Dealers in Bekaa
Report: Israel Says 'Nasrallah a Target' in Next Hizbullah-Israel War
Jumblat: Dissociation Theory Not to Be Confused with Neutrality
Hariri presents hits Hezbollah with power-sharing ultimatum
Israel Lobbies UNIFIL Nations Against Hezbollah's Arms Ahead Of UN Debate
The Regional Dimensions Of Hariri's Resignation: Will Iran & Hezbollah Compromise/Hanin Ghadder/War On The Rocks Site/November 28/17

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 28-29/17
Syria Regime Agrees to East Ghouta Ceasefire
Egypt Police Kill 11 Suspected 'Terrorists' in Shootout
Sufi Sheikh Says IS Warned Egypt Mosque before Massacre
British PM May embarks on visit to Saudi Arabia, Jordan
Erdogan: We are ‘on same wavelength’ with the US in latest talks
Trump, Macron say UN’s Syria talks in Geneva ‘only legitimate forum’
U.N. Wants Libya to Agree to Shut Down Migrant Camps
Netanyahu Says Israel to Open Embassy in Rwanda
Amnesty Urges Morocco to Free Detained Protesters
Egypt’s Army Continues Search for Perpetrators of Arish Mosque Bloodbath
North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile
Trump 'Actively Considering' U.S. Embassy Jerusalem Move
Syria Regime Agrees to Join Peace Talks, with Conditions
Water, Electricity, McDonald's: Gazans Hope for Reconciliation
Saudi Arabia Executes 7 for Murder, Drugs Offences
Turkish-Iranian Gold Dealer a U.S. Government Witness in Sanctions Trial

Latest Lebanese Related News published on November 28-29/17
Divide & Conquer
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/November 28/17
The greatest or rather the only real victory of Hezbollah is the divide they have created between the 14 Marchers. They started by taming totally the MorAouns and later they created tensions and feuds between on the one hand Mustaqbal and LF, between both and the Kataeb, between the LF and rule of law abiding politicians....They did not have to do much as they mainly relied on fear, sectarianism, personal agendas and greed.

Top UK Defense Adviser Visits Lebanon, Vows Continued Support for Army
Naharnet/November 28/17/Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer, the UK's incoming Defense Senior Adviser on the Middle East, is visiting Lebanon as part of his pre-appointment tour of the region, the British embassy said on Tuesday.
During his visit, Lorimer met with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri and Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. “I am delighted to be back in Lebanon. The UK has a long and strong relationship with the Lebanese Armed Forces. My visit is an opportunity to congratulate Commander Aoun on the LAF's victory against Daesh this summer, and to highlight continued UK support to the LAF, which will help deliver next year a fully secured Lebanese border with Syria,” the UK official said upon his arrival in Lebanon. This visit will further strengthen “the UK’s partnership and friendship with the LAF,” he said. Welcoming Lorimer's arrival, British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter said: “I am glad to have General Sir John Lorimer back in Lebanon, to demonstrate UK support to the LAF, Lebanon's sole legitimate defender.” “This visit is a further demonstration of the UK’s commitment to Lebanon’s peace and security. At this is important time for this country, I look forward to Lebanon's political parties coming together to reach a political agreement that contributes to regional security and protects Lebanon's own stability,” Shorter added.
Lebanon

Hariri Threatens to Quit over Hizbullah Interference
Associated Press/Naharnet/November 28/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri said that he will resign if Hizbullah refuses to accept a new power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon, speaking as consultations got underway in Beirut between political leaders over the government's future. Hariri made his threat in an interview with the French broadcaster Cnews on Monday. The Iran-backed Hizbullah, which has representatives in Lebanon's parliament, is the focus of talks between the country's political parties on reaching an accord over representation and on limiting foreign interference in domestic politics. Hizbullah is an opponent of Hariri's Saudi Arabia-backed al-Mustaqbal Movement, though it's also a member of Hariri's coalition government. Hariri said Hizbullah appeared receptive to dialogue, but said he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to rebalance Lebanon's political configuration. He did not elaborate on the new arrangement he was proposing.Hariri announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last week. The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri told CNews he wanted to send a "positive shock" through Lebanon through his resignation, and denied that Saudi officials forced him to resign. Hariri has demanded that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria. Lebanese President Michel Aoun met separately on Monday with several officials including the head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad, who later told reporters they discussed "reactivating" the government. Raad wouldn't answer questions about Hizbullah's disassociation from regional conflict. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, a harsh critic of Hizbullah, told reporters after meeting Aoun that his group will not resign from the government. "Dissociation should be in action and not through words, this means actively withdrawing from the region's conflict," he said, referring to Hizbullah. Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting proxy wars in the region and the conflict has affected Lebanon over the past years. Hariri's resignation came amid mounting tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia has accused Hizbullah of declaring war on the kingdom by supporting Yemen's Houthi rebels, who fired a ballistic missile the night of Hariri's resignation that was intercepted near Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the New York Times last week that the bottom line is that Hariri is not going to continue to provide political cover for a Lebanese government that is essentially controlled by Hizbullah which is essentially controlled by Iran. Hariri told CNews that he would be open to pushing forward elections in Lebanon, which are currently slated for May next year.

Aoun Assures Hariri on Hizbullah's 'Neutrality' Intention
Naharnet/November 28/17/President Michel Aoun has reportedly assured Prime Minister Saad Hariri that Hizbullah party has expressed readiness to dissociate itself from the regional wars, the Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Tuesday.Sources close to Hariri told the daily that “Aoun has assured Hariri at the end of his bilateral consultations on Monday with the country's political parties that Hizbullah intends to offer assurances that gives a sense of ease in the country.”They added that Aoun has told Hariri of “Hizbullah's clear commitment to neutralize and dissociate itself form the regional crises, particularly on the role of Hizbullah's weapons abroad,” however Hariri has requested “concrete” measures in that regard. Aoun on Monday kicked off bilateral consultations with the political parties at the Baabda Palace, a few days after Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced that he was suspending his resignation pending negotiations. The consultations have reportedly tackled the security situation, the dissociation policy, ties with Arab states, the Taef Accord and the government's situation, and the stance on the Israeli threats, including the defense strategy. In addition to several political parties, Aoun received Hizbullah MP Moahmmed Raad who announced that he and the president discussed “the protection of Lebanon and the resumption of the government's work.” “The viewpoints of the Loyalty to Resistance bloc and President Aoun are identical,” Raad added, hoping the stances will be translated into action. The premier has called for dissociating Lebanon from the regional conflicts through ending Hizbullah’s involvement in them.

Aoun Slams Israel Violations of 1701, Says Optimistic on Political Crisis
Associated Press/Naharnet/November 28/17/President Michel Aoun on Tuesday stressed that Lebanon is committed to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 between Israel and Hizbullah, as he slammed Israel's “incessant violations.”“Israel is continuing its incessant violations of UNSCR 1701, which Lebanon has committed to while Israel is still insisting on breaching it, disregarding the repeated international calls for honoring it,” Aoun told his visitors. Separately, the president hoped the coming week “will bring further positivity regarding the needed solutions for the political developments arising from Prime Minister Saad Hariri's announcement of his resignation and its consequent suspension at the request of the president.”Hariri said Monday that he will resign if Hizbullah refuses to accept a new power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon, speaking as consultations got underway in Beirut between political leaders over the government's future. The premier said Hizbullah appeared receptive to dialogue, but said he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to rebalance Lebanon's political configuration. He did not elaborate on the new arrangement he was proposing. Hariri announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last week. The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri said Monday he wanted to send a "positive shock" across Lebanon through his resignation, and denied that Saudi officials forced him to resign. Hariri has demanded that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria.

Al-Rahi Says Aoun 'Contained' Crisis, Salutes Saudi Arabia
Naharnet/November 28/17/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi announced Tuesday that President Michel Aoun has managed to “contain” the crisis that followed Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation from Riyadh, as he saluted Saudi Arabia over its stances on Lebanon.“Through his wisdom, composure and prudence, the president has contained all the events and the country has witnessed a return to joy and major unity,” al-Rahi said after talks with Aoun in Baabda, declaring that “the latest crisis has ended.”As for his latest trip to Saudi Arabia, the patriarch saluted the kingdom over the “wonderful remarks” he heard from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed “about Lebanon and the Lebanese.”“Lebanon is very important for them and they believe that it should remain open to all people and that it should preserve its friendships with all countries,” al-Rahi added. “They want Lebanon to remain a beautiful and kind land, a land of freedom and rapprochement, not animosities,” the patriarch said. Asked about the government and the consultations Aoun has held with the country's political leaders, al-Rahi revealed that the president told him that the Cabinet would convene “early next week to discuss the outcome of the consultations.”Hariri said Monday that he will resign if Hizbullah refuses to accept a new power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon, speaking as consultations got underway in Beirut between political leaders over the government's future. The premier said Hizbullah appeared receptive to dialogue, but said he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to rebalance Lebanon's political configuration. He did not elaborate on the new arrangement he was proposing.Hariri announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last week. The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri said Monday he wanted to send a "positive shock" across Lebanon through his resignation, and denied that Saudi officials forced him to resign. Hariri has demanded that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Bahrain and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria.

Mustaqbal Backs Hariri's Stance, Urges 'Respect for Lebanon's Arab Ties'
Naharnet/November 28/17/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc lauded Tuesday Prime Minister Saad Hariri's decision to suspend his resignation and his intention to conduct consultations aimed at securing “the commitment of all political parties to the policy of dissociation from the region's conflicts and wars.”
In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, which was presided over by Hariri, the bloc also stressed the need for Lebanon to be part of “the Arab system,” urging respect for “Lebanon's Arab ties, the stipulations of the constitution and the Taef Accord.” Hariri said Monday that he will resign if Hizbullah refuses to accept a new power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon, speaking as consultations got underway in Beirut between political leaders over the government's future. The premier said Hizbullah appeared receptive to dialogue, but said he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to rebalance Lebanon's political configuration. He did not elaborate on the new arrangement he was proposing. Hariri announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last week. The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri said Monday he wanted to send a "positive shock" across Lebanon through his resignation, and denied that Saudi officials forced him to resign. Hariri has demanded that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Bahrain and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria.

Kataeb Calls for Turning Current Crisis into 'Chance for Real Stability'
Naharnet/November 28/17/The Kataeb Party on Tuesday called for turning the crisis that followed Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation from Riyadh into “a chance for producing real stability in the country.”Lebanon should not enter a crisis “at every local or regional juncture,” the party urged in a statement issued after the weekly meeting of its political bureau.Warning against what it called “the policy of procrastination and the passing of time,” Kataeb called on all political officials to “draw lessons and be quick in taking their decisions, seeing as it is unacceptable to keep the fate of the country and its people hanging on suspension.”The party was apparently referring to Hariri's decision to suspend his resignation pending further negotiations with the political parties over his demand to dissociate Lebanon from the regional conflicts.“The Kataeb Party reiterates its rejection of the continued presence in power of this government, which was formed according to a deal,” the party said. It accused the government of “relinquishing the state's sovereignty, undermining people's social conditions, endorsing the approach of corruption, and unbalanced and futile performance in the management of all files.”The party “renews its call for full neutrality in the regional conflicts,” Kataeb said, adding that “the prerequisite for this neutrality is the state's sovereignty and the monopolization of arms in the hands of the legitimate security forces.”Kataeb also called for “the rise of a strong and capable state” and for “steering the country clear of the conflict of axes.”Hariri said Monday that he will resign if Hizbullah refuses to accept a new power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon, speaking as consultations got underway in Beirut between political leaders over the government's future. The premier said Hizbullah appeared receptive to dialogue, but said he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to rebalance Lebanon's political configuration. He did not elaborate on the new arrangement he was proposing. Hariri announced he was resigning Nov. 4, but walked it back after returning home last week. The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, was widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon's politicians into taking stronger measures to contain Hizbullah's influence. Hariri said Monday he wanted to send a "positive shock" across Lebanon through his resignation, and denied that Saudi officials forced him to resign.
Hariri has demanded that Hizbullah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Bahrain and Yemen. Hizbullah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria.

Army Arrests Three Drug Dealers in Bekaa
Naharnet/November 28/17/The security forces arrested three drug dealers and confiscated Captagon pills during raids in the Bekaa town of Addous, the Lebanese Army Orientation Directorate said in a statement on Tuesday. The Army Intelligence issued the communique and said that the patrol arrested the suspects, Fayez and Riad Mohammed al-Hammoud in addition to Saudi Ahmed Awad bin Hamad al-Khamaali, on Monday after they raided their place of residence in Bekaa.The troops confiscated 174 grams of Captagon pills and arrested the suspects. Related authorities kicked off investigations with the detainees.

Report: Israel Says 'Nasrallah a Target' in Next Hizbullah-Israel War
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Israel said that Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “would be a target for assassination” in any future war between Israel and Hizbullah, Israeli media reports said on Tuesday. Israeli military chief spokesman, Ronen Manelis, was quoted as saying that “there won’t be a clear victory picture in the text war (with Hizbullah), though it’s clear that Nasrallah is a target.” He also added that Israel is meanwhile conducting a “psychological and media war against Hizbullah.”He also said that the Israeli army is “making great efforts and activating its forces openly and secretly to ward off the next war, but at the same time it is clear that the war will be completely different on the other side. The intelligence, operational, maneuvering and firepower capabilities will determine if it is difficult in Israel it will be much harder in Lebanon.”Israel and Hizbullah have clashed several times, including in a month-long war in 2006 that killed 1,200 Lebanese -- mostly civilians -- and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Last week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in a new report that unauthorized weapons in the hands of Hizbullah and threatening rhetoric from the Lebanese group and Israeli officials "heightens risk of miscalculation and escalation into conflict."The U.N. chief called on Hizbullah and Israel, "to exercise restraint at all times" and "refrain from potentially inflammatory comments." Guterres said in the report to the U.N. Security Council that allegations of arms transfers to Hizbullah continue "on a regular basis," which the U.N. takes seriously. But it "is not in a position to substantiate them independently, he said. Guterres noted, however, that Hizbullah has displayed the weapons and acknowledged using them. The U.N. resolution that ended the 2006 war calls for Hizbullah and all other groups operating in Lebanon to be disarmed and demobilized. It also calls for the 10,700-strong U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL to monitor a zone south of the Litani River near Israel's border where Hizbullah is banned from keeping weapons. Guterres said Israel informed UNIFIL of the alleged presence of Hizbullah weapons and infrastructure in three specific locations in that zone, which the U.N. force closely monitored, including by aerial reconnaissance, satellite imagery and patrols.
But he said "no evidence to confirm the allegations was established."

Jumblat: Dissociation Theory Not to Be Confused with Neutrality
Naharnet/November 28/17/MP Walid Jumblat said on Tuesday that Lebanon's “dissociation policy” must not be mistaken with the term “neutrality” as he pinpointed the difference between the two. “There is some confusion between dissociation and neutrality,” said Jumblat on his Twitter page. He explained the “difference” and said: “Dissociation means not to interfere in the affairs of Arab countries which assumes an internal and regional consensus, and it seems that features have begun to appear in this area.”However, “neutrality is a futile theory in which Lebanon renounces hostility to Israel and accepts the settlement and occupation. The Constitution is clear therein,” added the PSP leader. Lebanon has been pushing for the implementation of the country's “dissociation policy” that calls for distancing the country from the regional crises in light of Hizbullah's involvement in the wars in Syria and Yemen. Some political figures have been using the term “neutrality” while urging Hizbullah to stop interfering in regional conflicts and accept what they described as a “neutral policy.”The country has been embroiled in disarray following Prime Minister Saad Hariri's shock resignation early in November, and a decision later to put it on hold pending talks about Hizbullah's interferences in the region.President Michel Aoun met with Speaker Nabih Berri and Hariri Monday in Baabda to brief them on bilateral consultations he held earlier in the day with the country's political parties to that end.

Hariri presents hits Hezbollah with power-sharing ultimatum
The Australian/November 28/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri says he will resign if the Hezbollah militant group refuses to accept a power-sharing arrangement for Lebanon. Mr Hariri made his threat yesterday in an interview with French broadcaster CNews. The Iran-sponsored Hezbollah, which has representatives in Lebanon’s parliament, is the focus of talks between the country’s parties on an accord over representation and on limiting foreign interference. Hezbollah is an opponent of Mr Hariri’s Saudi Arabia-backed Future Movement, though it’s also a member of his coalition government.
Mr Hariri said Hezbollah appeared receptive to dialogue, but added he would resign if the group and Iran did not agree to rebalance Lebanon’s political configuration. Mr Hariri announced he was resigning on November 4, but walked it back after returning home last week. The original announcement, made from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, was widely seen as orchestrated by Saudi Arabia to pressure Lebanon’s politicians into taking stronger measures to contain Hezbollah. Mr Hariri told CNews he wanted to send a “positive shock” through Lebanon through his resignation, and denied Saudi officials forced him to stand down. He has demanded that Hezbollah remove itself from regional conflicts, from Syria to Iraq and Yemen. Hezbollah denies playing a military role in Yemen but has fighters in both Iraq and Syria. Lebanese President Michel Aoun met separately with officials, including the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad, who said they discussed “reactivating” the government. Christian leader Samir Geagea, a critic of Hezbollah, said after meeting Mr Aoun that his group would not resign from the government. “Disassociation should be in action and not through words, this means actively withdrawing from the region’s conflict,” he said, referring to Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting proxy wars in the region and the conflict has affected Lebanon. Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told The New York Times last week that the bottom line was that Mr Hariri was not going to continue to provide political cover for a Lebanese government that was essentially controlled by Hezbollah, which is essentially controlled by Iran.

Israel Lobbies UNIFIL Nations Against Hezbollah's Arms Ahead Of UN Debate
Jerusalem Post/November 28/17
Israeli officials acknowledged that Israel and the UN do not see eye to eye on the effectiveness of the UNIFIL force.
Israel made its case om Monday to countries that contribute troops to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), saying they have to do much more to both inspect for, and report on, Hezbollah arms violations in southern Lebanon.Foreign Ministry deputy director-general for diplomacy Alon Ushpiz and deputy director-general for the United Nations and International Organizations Alon Bar briefed a number of ambassadors from states contributing to UNIFIL to voice Israel’s expectations before a discussion on UNIFIL scheduled for the Security Council on Wednesday. Israel’s position is that while UNIFIL plays an important role, it needs to do more to implement UNSC Resolution 1701, by inspecting sites where there are suspicions that Hezbollah has stored weapons, and reporting to the UN on Hezbollah violations. The resolution, which put an end to the Second Lebanon War in 2006, increased the size of UNIFIL and mandated it with ensuring that arms are not transferred to Hezbollah in south Lebanon.
Israel does not expect UNIFIL to confront the terrorist organization militarily, but it wants there to be a better record of violations, one diplomatic official said. Jerusalem has complained in recent months that it has provided information to UNIFIL about Hezbollah establishing outposts along the border with Israel, but that these complaints were summarily dismissed without serious investigation or inspection. Among the states contributing the most troops to UNIFIL are, in descending order: Indonesia, Italy, India, Spain, Ghana, Nepal, Malaysia, France, Finland and Ireland. Neither Indonesia, with 1,288 soldiers in the force, nor Malaysia, with 829, have diplomatic relations with Israel. The force has some 10,700 military personnel from 41 countries. The meeting at the ministry came just days after senior UNIFIL officials briefed the same ambassadorial delegation about the situation, but from UNIFIL’s perspective. According to Israeli officials, Israel’s call for more reporting of Hezbollah violations of 1701 stems from the belief that both Hezbollah and its Iranian backers are sensitive to international opinion and do not want to have to deal with reports of violations. Israeli officials acknowledged that Israel and the UN do not see eye to eye on the effectiveness of the UNIFIL force.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a report on Friday saying the UN was unable to confirm Israel’s claims that the terrorist organization was arming itself in southern Lebanon, in violation of 1701.He said that although there are regular allegations of arms transfers to Hezbollah, the UN “is not in a position to substantiate them independently.”Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said in an interview in September that UNIFIL “needs to do more,” including reporting on arms that are being transferred to Hezbollah. UNIFIL, Danon said, claims the situation in the south is “excellent” and quiet, “although we know that it is not quiet, and they are arming along the border.”US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley concurred in August, slamming the Irish head of UNIFIL, Maj.-Gen. Michael Beary, for ignoring Iran’s covert arming of Hezbollah. “Hezbollah openly brags about their weapons. They parade them before TV cameras. The secretary-general’s reports have confirmed this. For the UNIFIL commander to deny it... shows that we need to have changes in UNIFIL,” Haley said.

The Regional Dimensions Of Hariri's Resignation: Will Iran & Hezbollah Compromise?
الأبعاد الإقليمية لإستقالة الحريري..هل تقبل إيران ومعها حزب الله بتسوية
Hanin Ghadder/War On The Rocks Site/November 28/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60672
Earlier this month, while Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Cairo for an emergency meeting called by Saudi Arabia to declare Hizballah a “terrorist organization,” Qassem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Quds Force, was declaring victory in Syria. In a video released immediately after the Cairo meeting, Soleimani is seen crossing the Iraqi-Syrian border into Bou Kamal in Deir al-Zour province, marking a milestone for Iran’s power in the Middle East.
The two events highlight the geopolitical context in which Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s recent resignation took place. The unfolding political crisis in Lebanon will be part of this new era of dominance by Iran and its proxy, Hizballah. Now that Hariri has returned to Lebanon and suspended his resignation, the question is no longer about him. Rather, it is how Iran will move beyond this hurdle to consolidate its achievements in Lebanon and the region. While Hariri’s ouster — likely engineered by Saudi Arabia — was a temporary setback for Iran and Hizballah, their foothold in Lebanon and the wider Middle East is strong enough to withstand Saudi pressure for the foreseeable future. At this point, countering Iran’s and Hizballah’s influences in the region will require a concerted international effort beyond simply removing an adversarial head of state. To meaningfully pressure Hizballah and its Iranian sponsors, the United States and its allies must draw a clear line in the sand regarding the group’s regional military operations.
Hariri resigned while in Riyadh, inserting Lebanon into the regional competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The timing was significant given that Hariri had just hosted Ali Akbar Velayati, the Iranian Supreme Leader’s advisor for international affairs, one day prior. This meeting confirmed Saudi’s diminished leverage and Iran’s growing power in Lebanon. Alarmed by this, and by the growing role of Hizballah in the region (specifically in Yemen), Saudis tried to push back via Hariri.
When Hizballah decided to join Iran’s regional foreign legion, it was only a matter of time before Lebanon would be dragged with Hizballah to the regional confrontation. Now, any dialogue among the Lebanese people or possible resolution to nation’s crisis are going to be tied to regional negotiations over the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Hizballah’s Domestic Concerns
Hariri’s resignation has created a real dilemma for the “party of God.” Hizballah can no longer hide behind Hariri’s “power-sharing” government, which gave the group good cover for its regional operations — in addition to a Sunni cover that provided political legitimacy. Hariri came back as prime minister a year ago as part of a consensus that also brought in Michel Aoun — Hizballah’s Christian ally — as president. The idea was to have a national unity government to keep Lebanon safe from regional turmoil and protect state institutions. Hizballah first introduced the concept of a unity government in 2008 to counter the results of the parliamentary elections several years earlier that brought the pro-Western March 14 political camp to power. Under threat of arms, and after a number of political assassinations of March 14 figures, the coalition accepted Hizballah’s proposition and formed a unity government that allowed the group to infiltrate state institutions.
However, Hizballah eventually used this arrangement to consolidate its power in Lebanon and increase its military operations in the region. This situation was unsustainable for Saudi Arabia and for the Sunni community in Lebanon.
Hizballah now feels more exposed without a “power-sharing” government to give its domestic and regional activities the stamp of legitimacy, and without a substantial Sunni partner to replace Hariri. Whether Hizballah decides to replace Hariri with a “friendly” prime minister or keeps the post open until parliamentary elections next May, the group’s position in Lebanon and its state institutions will be exposed to the international community and regional escalations. But given Hizballah’s parallel institutions and economy in Lebanon, and its regional influence and access, it is most likely ensconced enough to deal with the repercussions of Hariri’s government falling apart. Given Iran’s ongoing financial support for Hizballah, Saudi economic pressures on Lebanon will not destroy the party of God.
The Regional Context: A Rising Iran
The most recent round of Saudi-Iranian escalation in Lebanon seems to have started when Saudi Arabia accused Hizballah and Iran of being behind the ballistic missile fired at Riyadh’s International Airport by the Iranian-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen in early November. But the real tension — subtly shown in Soleimani’s video in Bou Kamal — has to do with Iran’s ongoing buildup of broader influence in the region. While all eyes were on Hariri, Iran’s Shia militias managed to link the Syrian-Iraqi borders, establishing the land bridge connecting Tehran to Beirut and the Mediterranean. Hizballah and other Shia militias tried to establish this bridge via the Tanf region in southeast Syria, where a U.S. military base is present. As they approached Tanf in May 2017, a U.S. jet attacked a Hizballah convoy, forcing Iran to change its plan for the borders and move toward Deir al-Zour. The subsiding battles in the south and along the borders of Lebanon allowed Hizballah to move more troops to Deir al-Zour and to do so faster.
Fifteen years ago, King Abdullah II of Jordan warned of the emergence of a “Shiite crescent,” dominated by Tehran and arching across the northern Middle East. Since then, the idea has become a serious concern of many Arab states and Israel, as well as the West. The main aspiration of this Iranian-dominated entity is a land bridge linking Tehran to Beirut and the Mediterranean. This would give Iran direct and full control of a military corridor to its key proxy, Hizballah, and to Lebanon more broadly. While the bridge has existed in some form for some time now, this month was the first time Iran was able to exert complete control over this crucial passageway, thanks to its influence in a fractured Syria.
For the Iranian regime and the Shia communities in the region, the bridge symbolizes an ideological victory and a unified Shia front. It strengthens the sectarian identity of the Shia at the expense of national identities in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and, to a certain extent, Yemen, thereby boosting Iranian influence in the region.
Iran’s “divine victory” will erode recent discontent against Hizballah within the Shia community. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) will be able to use it to boost its political power within Iran as well. It will also enable Iran to establish a long-term presence in Syria and Iraq, while Iran’s proxies — including the Houthis — will be emboldened. Soleimani’s video told the world that Iran is there to stay. Iran has no reason to submit to Saudi pressure.
What’s Next? Challenges and Opportunities for Iran and Hizballah
Saudi Arabia was probably hoping that the recent anti-Iran rhetoric by the Trump administration and Israeli threats against Hizballah would translate into action that would tilt the status quo in its favor. Some had hoped that the ant-ISIL coalition would — now that the caliphate is defeated on the ground —transform into an anti-Iran coalition that would target Iranian proxies like Hizballah and the Houthis. However, countering Iran in the region will require a much more complex strategy. The various Shia militias operating in the region are part of the Quds Force — a special forces unit of the IRGC responsible for its extraterritorial operations — and function as an army. A war with one could lead to a war with the Quds Force and the IRGC, and a war in Lebanon, or Syria, could mean a war in the whole region.
Although the war scenario doesn’t seem to be as imminent anymore, that doesn’t mean all will be back to normal. Hariri might yet resign if Aoun doesn’t come back with a satisfying response from Hizballah — namely, a guarantee that it will change its regional behavior, mainly in Yemen. And even if Hizballah wanted to compromise, it will be a very long time until regional resolutions are ready. Therefore, domestically, the next phase of the crisis will probably be a long back-and-forth until the parliamentary elections. Given the electoral laws that Hariri’s government passed, Hizballah will probably manage to bring its allies to the parliament and thereby consolidate its power democratically. And if Hizballah manages to win the elections, it will be able to determine the next prime minister and even change Lebanon’s constitutions the way it sees fit. Without serious support for anti-Hizballah candidates in all communities, including the Shia community, Hizballah will withstand this crisis and strengthen its influence in Lebanon.
Regionally, Hizballah and Iran will take advantage of their current presence to consolidate their power by infiltrating state institutions — whether through elections in Lebanon and Iraq or political settlements in Syria. The upcoming elections in Iraq and Lebanon will could give Iran major access to state institutions in both countries, and the Syria talks that Russia is leading could guarantee Iranian influence over the future of that country as well.
In this context, Saudi Arabia’s step to remove Hariri will not suffice to blunt Iran’s and Hizballah’s influence. The move may actually backfire if it is not followed up with a plan, a regional strategy, and international cooperation. The Arab League designated Hizballah as a terrorist organization, but without a follow-up by the international community it will not mean much.
There is already an international resolution in place, though it is not being implemented. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006 to end the war between Hizballah and Israel, calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. According to the resolution, which Hizballah has agreed to, there should be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese state.
Some in Lebanon believe now is the right time to ensure the implementation of Resolution 1701. This will require an enormous and comprehensive international effort, but more importantly, it will require taking Hizballah’s new role into consideration. Hizballah no longer abides by Lebanon’s international resolutions or domestic agreements, and its weapons are no longer confined to Lebanon. Therefore, without a serious regional strategy that incorporates Hizballah’s regional role and Iran’s regional hegemony, Saudi Arabia’s escalation in Lebanon will not constitute a major challenge for either entity in the long run. The United States still has a military presence in Syria that could be used as leverage over Iran and its allies. Communicating clear red lines and going after specific and limited targets, as Israel has been doing against Hizballah in Syria for several years now, could help draw this boundary. As long as Hizballah and Iran don’t feel the pressure, they won’t feel the need to compromise.
**Hanin Ghaddar is the inaugural Friedmann Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute. She focuses her research on Shi’ite politics throughout the Levant, the evolution of Hizballah inside Lebanon’s political system, and Iran’s influence throughout the Middle East.
https://warontherocks.com/2017/11/the-regional-dimensions-of-hariris-resignation-will-iran-and-hizballah-compromise/

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 28-29/17
Syria Regime Agrees to East Ghouta Ceasefire
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Syria's government agreed on Tuesday to a ceasefire in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, following days of heavy bombardment, the United Nations envoy to the war-ravaged country said. "I was just informed by the Russians... today at the P5 meeting that Russia has proposed and the government has accepted a ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta," Staffan de Mistura told reporters in Geneva. He was speaking after a meeting of ambassadors from Security Council permanent representatives -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States -- earlier on Tuesday. Eastern Ghouta is one of the last remaining rebel strongholds in Syria, and is part of one of four so-called "de-escalation zones" in place across the country to reduce violence. It has been under siege since 2013 but in recent weeks violence has increased considerably, with government air strikes and artillery fire across the region, and rebel fire from the area into Damascus. The town of Hammuriyeh in Eastern Ghouta was hit with airstrikes on Tuesday morning, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It said four people, two of them children, were killed Tuesday in Eastern Ghouta, where food is in short supply. The enclave east of the Syrian capital is home to around 400,000 people and humanitarian organizations have voiced fears that conditions there could yet get worse.The implementation of the "de-escalation" zone, agreed earlier this year between government allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey, had initially reduced the violence in Eastern Ghouta.

Egypt Police Kill 11 Suspected 'Terrorists' in Shootout
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Egyptian security forces killed 11 suspected "terrorist elements" during a raid on a hideout for militants providing support for jihadists in the Sinai, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.
A ministry statement said police were still identifying the suspected militants killed in the raid in Ismailiya province after they opened fire on security forces approaching the hideout.

Sufi Sheikh Says IS Warned Egypt Mosque before Massacre
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/A Sufi leader associated with a mosque where suspected Islamic State group gunmen massacred hundreds of worshipers in Egypt said Tuesday the jihadists had visited the mosque to warn against holding Sufi rituals there. Friday's massacre during prayers in the North Sinai town of Rawda killed at least 300 people when suspected IS gunmen surrounded the mosque and opened fire. IS, which views some practices of the Sufi sect as heretical, had previously targeted the mystics by kidnapping one of their leaders and beheading him. In one of their propaganda outlets, they had also vowed to fight the Sufis in Sinai, singling out the Jariri Sufi order associated with the mosque. Sheikh Mohamed al-Jawish, deputy head of the Jariri order, said that less than a month ago jihadists visited Rawda mosque and spoke to the muezzin, Fethy Ismail, who issued the call to prayer five times a day. "They entered the mosque. They were unknown" to the congregants, he told AFP. He said they told the muezzin, who later died in the massacre: "Don't celebrate the Mawlid. Don't hold Sufi prayer circles."Mawlids mark the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, and those of Muslim saints. IS follows the puritan Salafi theology and views the practice as an unlawful innovation in Islam. Jawish said that followers of his order had already stopped such gatherings in the North Sinai capital of El-Arish, where IS has deadly underground cells that often carry out assassinations and bombings. Despite the warning, Jawish said no one expected IS would return and actually carry out a massacre which shocked even supporters of the jihadist group. "No one expected this. They thought the issue ended with the warning not to hold the Sufi prayer circles," Jawish said in a phone interview.
IS has claimed attacks that have killed dozens of Sufis, most notably in Pakistan. If the mosque was attacked because of its Sufi connections, the massacre would be in line with IS in Egypt increasingly focusing on civilian targets as it makes little headway in its Sinai insurgency. IS has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in the Sinai, as well as civilians accused of working with the authorities, since the July 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

British PM May embarks on visit to Saudi Arabia, Jordan
AFP, London Wednesday, 29 November 2017/Prime Minister Theresa May left London late Tuesday for a three-day visit to the Middle East, where she will meet Saudi and Jordanian leaders in a bid to bolster regional ties. The British leader will hold talks on issues including Qatar and Yemen with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, before heading to Jordan for meetings with King Abdullah II and Prime Minister Hani Mulki. "This visit demonstrates that as the UK leaves the EU we are determined to forge a bold, confident future for ourselves in the world, a spokesman for May said.
"It is clearly in the UK's security interests to support Jordan and Saudi Arabia in tackling regional challenges to create a more stable region, and in delivering their ambitious reform programs to ensure their own stability," he added. May, embattled domestically after losing her parliamentary majority in a snap election over the summer and facing division over Brexit, visited both countries in April. In Saudi Arabia, she is expected to reiterate her support for the kingdom's social reform program, which saw an end to the ban on women driving last September. Britain's largest trading partner in the Middle East, London has signed off on more than $4.4 billion worth of arms sales to Riyadh since March 2015.

Erdogan: We are ‘on same wavelength’ with the US in latest talks
Reuters, Ankara Tuesday, 28 November 2017/Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump last Friday were the first occasion in a long time the two NATO allies were "on the same wavelength" and the communication would continue in the coming days.
In a speech to deputies from his ruling AK Party in parliament, Erdogan said discussions would continue on the issues of Syrian Kurdish forces, defense industry cooperation and the fight against the network of a US-based cleric whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating last year's failed coup in Turkey.

Trump, Macron say UN’s Syria talks in Geneva ‘only legitimate forum’
AFP, Washington Tuesday, 28 November 2017éThe leaders of the United States and France on Monday insisted UN-backed talks on Syria’s future were the only way forward, after a no-show by the Damascus government. Presidents Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone and agreed that the talks scheduled to open Tuesday in Geneva were the “only legitimate forum for achieving a political solution in Syria,” the White House said. “Last night we received a message that the government would not travel to Geneva today. Naturally we hope, and indeed expect the government will be on its way shortly,” UN Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura told the UN Security Council on Monday.

U.N. Wants Libya to Agree to Shut Down Migrant Camps
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/The United Nations wants Libya's internationally-backed government to agree to shut down 30 detention centers holding 15,000 migrants, most of whom will be sent back to their countries, the head of the IOM said Tuesday. The detention of the migrants, most of whom are fleeing poverty, has become a pressing issue after video footage showing African men sold in Libyan slave auctions sparked global outrage. At a Security Council meeting called by France, the head of the International Organization for Migration said he was working with the U.N. refugee agency on a plan "to try to empty the detention centers." "We need from the Libyans the agreement that we can empty these centers and I think they will agree to that," said William Lacy Swing by videoconference.Libya has become an enormous transit hub for sub-Saharan Africans seeking to reach Europe since the fall of strongman Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Italy and the European Union have been providing financing, training and other aid to Libya to stop smugglers from taking migrants in flimsy boats across the Mediterranean, keeping them instead in detention centers. U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi said that many more migrants are being held by smugglers and traffickers in Libya, under the protection of "well-known militias." France requested the urgent meeting to push for a tough response by the top U.N. body after the footage aired by CNN showed migrants sold for as little as $400. French Ambassador Francois Delattre said he will propose names of migrant traffickers to be added to a U.N. sanctions blacklist that provides for a global travel ban and assets freeze.
Racist' Libya
Libya rejected the report of the slave auctions as a campaign to portray the country as racist and accused African governments of failing to take responsibility for the well-being of their citizens. "Libya is the victim of a large-scale false media campaign of defamation to portray it as a racist country," said Libyan acting Ambassador Elmahdi Elmajerbi. The Libyan envoy said authorities are investigating the slave auctions but that the international community must adopt an approach that tackles "the root causes" of illegal migration. Any sanctions that target smugglers must also hit those traffickers operating outside Libya, he said. Ethiopia said the images of the slave auctions had sent shockwaves across Africa and beyond. "There is a need for urgent action to dismantle the slavery camps and destroy the criminal networks involved in this inhuman practice," said Ethiopia's Ambassador Tekeda Alemu. "All necessary measures must also be taken to identify all those responsible for this unspeakable and barbaric crime and bring them to justice," he said. The reported slave auctions have raised questions about EU migration deals which U.N. officials have said have turned human traffickers into slave traders. Migration will dominate an EU summit with the African Union in Ivory Coast this week. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend.

Netanyahu Says Israel to Open Embassy in Rwanda
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday his country will open an embassy in Rwanda as part of the push to increase its influence in Africa. "We are opening a new embassy in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda," his office quoted him as saying at a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame during a visit to Kenya. "This is part of the widening of Israel's presence in Africa and part of the deepening of cooperation between Israel and African states."  Netanyahu was on a one-day visit to Nairobi for celebrations as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in Tuesday for a second term. At a festive lunch Netanyahu, who is also Israel's foreign minister, said he was seeking observer status for his country at the African Union. "This is my third visit to Africa in 18 months and my second visit here to Kenya," he said in a video clip released by his office ."We believe in the future of Africa, we love Africa and I would like very much not only to cooperate on an individual basis with each of your countries but also with the African Union," he added. Israel has sought business and security ties with African nations as well as support at UN bodies.
Seeking to deport African migrants who have arrived in Israel, Netanyahu's government has also signed deals with Rwanda and Uganda to accept departing migrants on condition they consent to the arrangement.

Amnesty Urges Morocco to Free Detained Protesters
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Human rights group Amnesty International urged Moroccan authorities on Tuesday to release more than 400 people detained over protests in the neglected north of the kingdom over the past year. Its call came as the Casablanca Court of Appeal held a new hearing in the trial of protest leader Nasser Zefzafi and 53 others, some of them charged with state security offences that can carry prison terms of up to 20 years. Amnesty said that children and several journalists were among at least 410 people arrested since May over the largely peaceful protests that have gripped the Rif region since October last year. "The crackdown on Rif protesters in recent months has been relentless," said Amnesty's North Africa research director Heba Morayef. "The authorities must free Nasser Zefzafi and others detained for protesting peacefully or covering demonstrations online."Amnesty said Zefzafi had been held in solitary confinement for 176 days, while journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui had spent several weeks in solitary. It said that most of the defendants in the Casablanca trial faced accusations of "inciting", "participating" or being "complicit" in unrest without any evidence being provided of their individual criminal responsibility for any act of violence. It said most of the charges were inconsistent with Morocco's human rights obligations since they criminalised the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression. The Rif has historically had a tense relationship with central authorities in Rabat, and it was at the heart of Morocco's Arab Spring-inspired protests in February 2011. The latest protests erupted after a fishmonger in the port of Al-Hoceima was crushed to death in a rubbish truck as he tried to retrieve swordfish dumped by authorities because they were caught out of season.

Egypt’s Army Continues Search for Perpetrators of Arish Mosque Bloodbath
Asharq Al Awsat/November 28/17/Egypt’s parliament united in saying that there is no evidence of security deficiency in the events leading to the recent bloodbath in Al-Rawda mosque in Northern Sinai. MPs reaffirmed their support for the political administration, army and security forces in their war against terrorism. On that note, army forces continue to cooperate with tribes across the peninsula in their pursuit of the perpetrators. A total of 305 people were killed and 128 wounded in an attack by militants on the mosque in the Arish region in northern Sinai. No group claimed responsibility for the attack which was carried out during Friday prayers. "No case can be made on security failure in the Bir al-Abd (the Arish neighborhood in which the mosque is located) attack. We have thousands of mosques throughout the country, and securing all these mosques by army and police forces requires draining capacities for this role, which is what the treacherous terrorist organizations want, “said Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal. “We cannot talk about a lack of security at a time when army heroes and police officers risk their lives on a daily basis to defend the safety of the homeland and its children,” he added. “We need to direct our attention towards the national cohesion of Egyptian people,” said Abed-Aal. “Those cowards who attack safe worshippers during prayer only aim at breaking the spirit of Egyptians after great advances and progress have been scored against terror groups,” he said. Addressing the perpetrators of such horrendous acts, Abed-Aal said that “history proves that no terrorism was able to defeat an entire nation.”Abdel-Aal also indicated that he received assurances from acting Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli that the government will do everything possible to help the victims' families get the necessary financial compensation as decided by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. “This is not a moment for sadness, rather it is a moment of action for helping the families of the victims,” said Abdel-Aal, adding that "the government promised that judicial courts will also soon be back to business in the city of Arish, the capital of North Sinai, to help families get all the legal documents necessary to obtain the compensation."

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/North Korea fired a ballistic missile early Wednesday, South Korean military officials said, the first such launch in two months and just a week after the U.S. slapped fresh sanctions on the hermit state and declared it a state sponsor of terrorism. The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme but before Wednesday had not staged a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions were having an impact. The missile flew east from South Pyongang Province, the military Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.The U.S. Pentagon said it had detected a "probable missile launch" from North Korea. South Korea's military staged a "precision strike" missile exercise in response, Yonhap news agency said, also quoting the JCS. Seoul's unification minister had on Tuesday said signs of unusual activity had been detected in North Korea, hinting at a possible missile test. The U.S. last week unveiled new sanctions targeting North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon it's atomic weapons programme. Pyongyang condemned the move as a "serious provocation" and warned that sanctions would never succeed. In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan.

Trump 'Actively Considering' U.S. Embassy Jerusalem Move
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/U.S. President Donald Trump is "actively considering when and how" to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, his vice president said Tuesday, evoking a campaign promise that the administration had sidelined. Mike Pence made the remarks in a keynote address at an event in New York commemorating the 70th anniversary of the U.N. vote for partition of Palestine, which led to the creation of the state of Israel. "President Donald Trump is actively considering when and how to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Pence told the gathering of U.N. ambassadors, diplomats and Jewish leaders. On June 1, Trump shied away from what was a major campaign promise by signing a legal waiver that keeps the embassy in Tel Aviv. The next six-month waiver is due to be signed this week."It's a question of when, not if," a U.S. official said on June 1. During his campaign for the White House, Trump expressed support for moving the embassy but did not renew the call -- which would anger Palestinians and Arab states -- when he visited Jerusalem this year. In 1995, Congress passed a law making it U.S. policy to move the embassy to Jerusalem, symbolically endorsing Israel's claim on the city as its capital. But the law contains a clause that has allowed each president since to issue and renew a six-month waiver on carrying out the move. Pence, who is to visit Jerusalem next month, said he would address the Israeli parliament during the trip and "bring a message of resolve and commitment to draw the United States and Israel even closer together, and to stand together in defense of all that we hold dear." He said the United Nations had "too often" become "a forum for invective in the form of anti-Semitism and hatred" but vowed "the days of Israel-bashing at the United Nations are over.""I'm pleased to report today that America's support for Israel's security is at a record level today," he said. The administration was "committed" to bringing peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said. Trump would "never compromise the safety and security of the Jewish State of Israel," he added. Pence on Tuesday attended a symbolic re-enactment of the November 29, 1947 U.N. General Assembly vote, on the eve of its 70th anniversary. The event was held at the Queens Museum, where the General Assembly partition vote took place. The main building of the museum served as the temporary home of the U.N. shortly after its founding, from 1946 to 1950.

Syria Regime Agrees to Join Peace Talks, with Conditions
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Talks aimed at ending the war in Syria restarted Tuesday with the government enforcing its will, warning the United Nations it would not tolerate any discussion of President Bashar al-Assad's ouster from power. Assad's negotiators skipped the opening of the U.N.-backed talks, delivering another blow to negotiations that have achieved little through seven previous rounds. Opposition representatives, united in one delegation for the first time, met U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday.  After arriving in Geneva late Monday, rebel delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri told reporters that his camp was still insisting on Assad's removal as part of any peace deal, defying calls for moderation. Damascus had initially refused to confirm it would attend the talks with the opposition maintaining its hardline stance on the president, but the U.N. announced that government representatives will arrive on Wednesday. But before agreeing to come, Assad's envoys secured key concessions from de Mistura. "During intense discussions over the last two days, de Mistura pledged to the government delegation that there would not be any... discussion of the Riyadh statement", an opposition text that references Assad's ouster, a source close to the government told AFP. Keeping the Assad issue off the table may also suit de Mistura, who has said he wants this round to focus on a new constitution for Syria and U.N.-supervised elections. Hours before the talks officially started, government-ally Russia informed de Mistura that Syrian forces had agreed to a ceasefire in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, following days of heavy bombardment. Eastern Ghouta, under siege by government forces since 2013, is one of the last remaining rebel strongholds in Syria and violence there has increased significantly in recent days.
Same old deadlock
De Mistura had voiced hope the coming round would mark the first "real negotiation" on a possible deal to end the six-year war which has claimed more than 340,000 lives and left Syria in ruin. He has also warned the opposition that intransigence on the Assad issue might no longer be tenable. In September, he said the opposition needed to be "realistic" and accept that "they didn't win the war," a statement supported by facts on the ground. Backed by Russia's military support, Assad's government has regained control of 55 percent of the country, including major cities including Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama. The rest is carved up between rebel factions, jihadists and Kurdish forces. The decision last week by Syrian opposition groups to send a single delegation to Geneva raised hopes of a possible breakthrough. The new rebel negotiating team includes members of the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which insists on Assad's departure, as well as representatives of groups based in Moscow and Cairo that have a more moderate stance on the president. Despite Hariri's firm public position on the Assad stalemate, a European diplomat said the situation was fluid.
"We expect (the opposition) will be pragmatic and flexible," the diplomat said, requesting anonymity.
U.N. overshadowed
A flexible opposition will likely help the U.N.'s peace push, which has been overshadowed by negotiations spearheaded by Moscow. Russia and its fellow ally Iran, along with rebel-backer Turkey, have hosted negotiations in the Kazakh capital of Astana that led to the creation of four "de-escalation zones" which produced a drop in violence, though deadly air strikes and battles continue in some areas. Western powers are concerned that Russia is seeking to take a leading role in the peace process and will carve out a settlement that will largely favor Assad. But experts and officials have noted that Moscow cannot forge a solution alone and needs the U.N. to legitimize any peace deal. "I think (the Russians) have some really strong cards, but I don't think they hold all the cards," the European diplomat said. "That is why Geneva is such a significant, important process, because only Geneva has the legitimacy to bring together all of those constituent parts and only Geneva will unlock the significant international aid that is required to put Syria back on its feet", the diplomat said.

Water, Electricity, McDonald's: Gazans Hope for Reconciliation
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Hamas is due to hand over power in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority by Friday as part of a reconciliation deal, raising hopes humanitarian suffering there can be eased. Gazans' demands are mostly simple: water, electricity, the right to travel. The coastal enclave has been blockaded by Israel for a decade, while the only other border -- with Egypt -- has been also largely sealed in recent years. Residents receive only a few hours of electricity per day, and U.N. officials have said Gaza is becoming rapidly unlivable. Israel says its restrictions are necessary to isolate Islamist movement Hamas, which has ruled the enclave since seizing it in 2007. It has fought three wars with Israel since. Gazans explain why reconciliation matters to them:
The stranded student
Yahya al-Majayda, 18, is meant to be studying medicine. He applied for university in Ukraine, was accepted and even received the visa. But with the borders sealed, he is stuck. "My visa has been valid for two months but I haven't been able to travel because of the border. "It expires in January. If I don't arrive by that date they won't renew it and I will lose around $2,000 I spent. "My future depends on the opening of the border and the national government taking control in Gaza. "I am very scared reconciliation will fail, my future will be lost completely."
The daughter cut off from family
Maysaa al-Shanti, a 45-year-old mother of six, hasn't seen her parents since Hamas took control. They moved to Saudi Arabia decades ago. "I dream of reconciliation and for them to open the crossings so I can travel to see my family in Saudi Arabia. "I haven't seen them in 11 years. My father died without me seeing him. "I don't know when I will see my mother and siblings if they don’t succeed with reconciliation."
The rival bureaucrats
In a strange quirk, there are two civil services in Gaza. When Hamas took over in 2007, the majority of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority employees were told to stop working. Hamas set up a rival administration, while tens of thousands of PA employees continued to get a salary without working. Leila Saqar was among them. She is hoping to return to her job with the health ministry. "Ten years at home without work has negative psychological and professional effects. "I don't care if my colleagues or the patients I treat are Hamas or Fatah. We are all Palestinians. "As employees in the PA we will complement the Hamas employees, who have acquired experience during their years of work, dealing with new projects we today must learn about." Mahmoud al-Faraa, head of public relations with the Hamas media ministry, could be losing his job. A final decision about Hamas employees has been put off until early next year, with a merger possible, but Faraa said he was personally in favor of reconciliation to ease conditions for his family. "As an employee also I hope there will be reconciliation so I can get my full salary from the Palestinian Authority, and develop our capacities and expertise."
The unemployed graduate
Wael al-Haj, 32, graduated from university in 2008, but since then he has been mostly unemployed. "All we want is reconciliation and for the economic and living situations to improve and to get a chance to work. All I want is to provide my family with a stable and dignified life. "The Gaza Strip has seen a huge tragedy as a result of the split."
The child who wants to fly
Hamada Ahmed, 12, a student in a United Nations school in Gaza, doesn't know exactly what reconciliation is -- but he hopes it means he will be able to leave Gaza for the first time. "My dad said if they open the crossings to everyone we will travel. I hope to fly in a plane and eat McDonald's."

Saudi Arabia Executes 7 for Murder, Drugs Offences
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Saudi Arabia on Tuesday executed six Yemeni men convicted of murder and robbery and a Saudi man for smuggling drugs, the interior ministry said. The Yemenis were convicted of forming a gang that killed two men and a woman in three separate attacks on homes in the southern province of Assir, it said in a statement cited by the SPA news agency. In each attack, they also stole cash and other items, the statement added. They were executed at Abha in the southwest of the Gulf kingdom. The seventh convict, a Saudi, was executed in the northern city of Tabuk after being convicted of smuggling pills, the ministry said. Saudi Arabia, where executions are carried out in public by the sword, has one of the world's highest execution rates. The kingdom is governed under a strict form of Islamic law, with suspects convicted of "terrorism", murder, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking facing the death penalty. Tuesday's executions take the total number of judicial killings in the ultra-conservative country so far this year to 130, according to data compiled by AFP.

Turkish-Iranian Gold Dealer a U.S. Government Witness in Sanctions Trial
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 28/17/Turkish-Iranian businessman Reza Zarrab will testify for the prosecution in a potentially explosive sanctions-busting trial that opened in New York on Tuesday amid inflamed U.S. relations with Ankara, a federal prosecutor said. The prosecutor, David Denton, made it clear that Zarrab would be the star witness as the government lays out its case against Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla, accused of violating sanctions against Iran, bribery and money laundering. "You will hear it from the inside, from Reza Zarrab. He has pleaded guilty to violating U.S. laws and he has decided to cooperate with the government," Denton told the jury. The case has angered Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose government alleges that the charges are the product of a conspiracy led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. On Tuesday, Turkish authorities were reported to have issued arrest warrants for two individuals who appeared on the witness list in the New York case, accusing them of providing "fake reports" to US prosecutors. Zarrab, a 34-year-old gold dealer who was arrested in 2016 during a trip to Disney World, is alleged to have been at the center of a gold-for-oil operation that Washington alleges violated U.S. sanctions. Atilla, 49, is the sole defendant, but analysts believe revelations in the trial could implicate Turks close to Erdogan. Denton suggested to jurors that Zarrab's testimony would shed light on a corruption case implicating top officials that Ankara has sought to smother since 2013. He was held for more than two months in Turkey along with dozens of other politically connected figures in a case that Erdogan also saw as a bid by Gulen to bring him down.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 28-29/17
Will Iran Collapse Like the Soviet Union?
د. كريم عبديان بني سعيد/هل تنهار إيران على غرار الاتحاد السوفياتي
Karim Abdian Bani Saeed/Asharq Al Awsat/November 28/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60668
We witnessed over the past two months two important developments that will influence the internal affairs of the Wilayet al-Faqih regime in Tehran.
The first was the convention of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which led to the re-election of President Xi Jinping for a second five-year term. This will help ensure the continuity of the country’s current development approach over the next five years.The second development was the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, which was the rival of capitalism for seven decades. The revolution transformed Russia into the greatest industrial nation to challenge western countries until its sudden collapse in 1991. The Wilayet al-Faqih figures, from the Rafsanjani, Rezai and other movements, warmly greeted the developments in China, which to them presents the example of a closed political dictatorship that ensures political longevity. At the same time, it provides new opportunities for economic growth at a rate of 10 to 15 percent annually. According to those figures, this is the example that the Iranian regime is seeking and it should be applied according to the Chinese model for them to tighten their grip across the country and move economic growth forward.
They believe that the Chinese model allows the Iranian regime to continue along strong principles and roots that are hard to uproot, while also achieving economic growth that appeases the people. As for the Bolshevik Revolution anniversary, Wilayet al-Faqih intellectuals and politicians, who have actually defected mentally or politically from the ruling regime, warned against introducing reform similar to the ones adopted under the former Soviet Union. Such a step would lead to the total collapse of the Wilayet al-Faqih regime in all of its internal institutions, as well as all of its followers outside of Iran, especially in the Middle East. Despite this wave of warnings, most of these officials agree that the current political situation in Iran is exactly similar to the historic period that Russia experienced on the eve of the great collapse in 1991.
During the final days of the Soviet Union under Gorbachev, the regime was at the height of its security and political wealth. It had nuclear weapons and enjoyed natural and human resources, as well as diplomatic and political skills. This all soon evaporated and the Soviet Union became a memory of the past.
Iran today is passing through the same experience. Despite Iranian media claims that Tehran is at the peak of its political and military power, there are strong signs inside the country that indicate rampant administrative corruption throughout the state body. There is also major moral decline in society, where over a million prostitutes are working in the capital Tehran alone in what is a sign of how far one would go to fend off poverty.
These signs have not been disclosed by the opposition or separatist figures or the neo-cons of the United States, but by prominent Wilayet al-Faqih officials and major Iranian intellectual and political figures. Before addressing the Gorbachev of Iran, there has been recent talks about “Balkanizing” the region. The area is rich with different minorities, such as Ahwazi Arabs, Baluch people, Kurds, Azeris and Turkem, who have grown tired of oppressive Iranian policies. Given this harsh reality, these minorities have had no choice but to commit to the power of their people and activate their solidarity against the turbaned leaders. The rising nationalist sentiment among these non-Persian minorities has created panic among the Persian political class, from the left and right, from inside and outside the country, and from the liberals to members of the intelligence apparatus alike. They have all stood united against the aspirations of the oppressed people in Iran. These minorities have been labeled as traitors or separatists simply for demanding equality and ending discrimination against them.
This reality has drawn new political lines in Iran. The first brings together all leftist, nationalist and religious factions that support the regime in fighting the oppressed minorities. The second brings together all activists and nationalist movements from the above mentioned minorities, as well as Iranian organizations that recognize the rights of these peoples.
This second trend can unite to topple the Wilayet al-Faqih regime and build a diverse political system that respects nationalist and religious minority rights. It can establish a federal system that eliminates centralism and the monopolization of power, paving the way for a country that can coexist in peace with its neighbors. The non-Persian people have a difficulty in believing in a political figure who can lead a revolt against the Wilayet al-Faqih regime after their experience with Khomeini, whom they trusted before he betrayed them. All nationalist activists instead prefer collective work in order to topple the regime.
After a long experience in confronting the regime, all Iranians, especially the Persians, have realized that the dictatorship cannot be overthrown except through expanding and uniting the opposition. It should include activists from the various minorities all joined together in one front. The first step in this direction was the formation of the Council of Iranian Democrats in Cologne, Germany last week. This council brings together all who aspire for real democracy and getting rid of the Wilayet al-Faqih regime. It was a product of a series of consultations over two years between the Persian opposition and different minorities. The council is set to announce soon a number of future steps that may leave the door open for any side or organization that believes in introducing radical change in Iran and toppling the Wilayet al-Faqih regime.

Iran’s Khamenei — the Middle East’s Hitler?/خامنئي إيران_هتلر الشرق الأوسط
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arabnews/November 28/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60670
In an interview with The New York Times, published last Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, “the new Hitler of the Middle East.”
While any comparison between Khamenei and Hitler — or the Nazis and the Iranian regime — infuriate proponents of that regime, the crown prince’s analogy is in fact well-grounded and legitimate, based on Khamenei’s modus operandi and the history of his three-decade rule.
Here are some underlying reasons to support such an analogy:
First of all, Hitler was a fanatic ideologue who believed his ideology to be superior to any other. From Khamenei’s perspective, his philosophy and theocratic system of rule are the cornerstones of an ultimate system of governance. He and his fanatical party revolted and later resorted to significant violence to effectuate their revolutionary beliefs.
Once he was in charge of the Nazi Party, Hitler established two notorious organizations, the SA and the SS; agencies of terror tasked with surveillance and security who helped to control society and infiltrate other governments. Similarly, Khamenei supported the establishment of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its extraterritorial unit the Quds Force, and its volunteer paramilitary group, the Basij, to accomplish similar missions. Khamenei empowered the military, local militias, and the intelligence ministry.
Secondly, Hitler subscribed to fascism. Fascism has two important pillars: It is “a system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator” and it relies on “violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.”
Khamenei’s rule is purely dictatorial. His rule is “legitimized” by the notion of Wilayat-e-Faqih, in which an imam is supposed to rule over the nation.
Intriguingly, while Hitler came to power thorough election and voting, Khamenei was appointed by a handful of people from his gilded circle.
The Iranian people have no say in Khamenei’s rule, as he is the ultimate autocrat of the Iranian regime. He enjoys the final say in Iran’s domestic and foreign policy. Khamenei also has the power to enact or revoke any constitutional laws. He calls himself the representative of the yet-to-arrive Imam Mahdi and he believes that he has been appointed by God to rule until the Mahdi appears. From his perspective, his regime has to dominate the Middle East and beyond in order to provide the right environment for that event.
Third, any scholar who has studied Khamenei’s speeches carefully in the last three decades can observe that racism is a core tenet of Khamenei’s. He believes in Persian superiority over Arabs or other ethnicities. In a speech to women in Tehran, he explained why the Persian race is far superior to non-Persian races: “The European race is a barbaric race. They have a nice polished outfit, nicely ironed clothes, nice ties, and wear nice perfumes, but their (race) has a barbaric nature which existed during history and still exists in them now. They murder people in cold blood, and Europeans and Americans beat women in their houses.”Through the IRGC, brute force, proxies and terrorist groups, Khamenei has exported his ideology and revolutionary principles to the region and even to Latin America and incited wars to dominate the social order in other countries.
Iranian Arabs are systematically discriminated against, executed and tortured under Khamenei’s rule. He has fully neglected the Arab and Kurd regions of Iran, where most of Khamenei’s wealth comes from. Nearly 90 percent of Iran’s oil revenues originate in the Arab Ahwaz region, while its population is ranked among the poorest in Iran.
Hitler did not limit his ideology to Germany. He believed he should spread it to the rest of the world. Similarly, Khamenei strongly advocates the use of hard power, war and violence to export his brand of Shiism abroad.
In fact, that mission is part of Iran’s constitution. The preamble states that the constitution “provides the necessary basis for ensuring the continuation of the Revolution at home and abroad.” In addition, the preamble states that Iran’s Army and Revolutionary Guard “will be responsible not only for guarding and preserving the frontiers of the country, but also for fulfilling the ideological mission of (Shiite) jihad in God’s way; that is, extending the sovereignty of God’s (Shiite) law throughout the world … in the hope that this century will witness the establishment of a universal holy government and the downfall of all others.”
Through the IRGC, brute force, proxies, and terrorist groups, Khamenei has exported his ideology and revolutionary principles to the region and even to Latin America and incited wars to dominate the social order in other countries, including Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.
When it comes to nationalism, like Hitler, Khamenei has frequently exploited nationalist sentiments to advance his parochial and authoritarian agenda. Khamenei has used nationalistic presidents, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other military generals, as pawns to draw support for the regime by manipulating the people.
Khamenei’s policies, actions and words corroborate the analogy that he is the “new Hitler of the Middle East.” However, it is worth noting that Khamenei is, in some respects, more threatening. While Hitler was in a rush to rule the world, Khamenei is extremely patient, shrewder, more Machiavellian, dictatorial and manipulative. Before it is too late, the international community has to seize its opportunity, because if Khamenei and his regime are not confronted forcefully, he will likely turn the region into a conflagration to achieve his objectives.
— Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

France Submits to Terrorism, Muslim Anti-Semitism
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/November 28/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11392/france-terrorism-muslims-antisemitism
In France, since 2012, more than 250 people were killed by Islamic terrorism -- more than in all other European countries combined.
No other country in Europe has experienced so many attacks against Jews. France is a country where Jews are murdered because they are Jews.
"Muslim believers know very well what is happening. Only a minority is violent. But as a whole, they do not ignore that their birthrate is such that one day, everything here will be theirs". — Luc Ravel, Archbishop of Strasbourg.
In Bagneux, France, on November 1, 2017, a plaque placed in memory of Ilan Halimi, a young Jew murdered in 2006 by a "gang of barbarians", was destroyed and covered with graffiti. When a few days later, another plaque replaced it, the French government issued a statement that "hate will not win".
There are many signs, however, that hate has already won and that France is sick. If these signs were already obvious a decade ago, they are even more obvious today. Voluntary blindness prevented them from being addressed.
Ilan Halimi was taken hostage in January 2006, then viciously tortured for three weeks. He was eventually abandoned, dying, on the edge of a road and died a few hours later.
Most of kidnappers, who were arrested a few days after the murder, were Muslims. They immediately confessed. They said they had chosen Halimi because he was a Jew and they thought that "all Jews have money". Some added that Jews "deserve to suffer".
They were tried behind closed doors. The leader, Youssouf Fofana, spat his bile against Jews and vehemently shouted the name of Allah during the whole trial, so the court could not hide that he was an Islamic anti-Semite. He was sentenced to "life" in prison -- which in France means 18 to 20 years. If he had not assaulted his guards in the prison, he would already have be released. The other members of the gang, described by the prosecutor in a watered down way as "thugs looking for easy money", were quieter and were handed down relatively light sentences. Today, almost all "the barbarians" are free.
Even books, accentuating the whitewash, describe the crime as just an ugly "sign of greed" among "poorly educated young people".
In 2014, director Alexandre Arcady made a movie -- 24 Days: The True Story of the Ilan Halimi Affair -- to draw attention to what he perceived as a growing danger for Jews and for the French in general. The movie was a flop; almost no one paid attention to it, despite some murders just as sickening.
On March 19, 2012, in Toulouse, a 23-year-old Muslim, Mohammed Merah, entered the yard of a Jewish school and murdered three children and the father of two of them. He had already shot French soldiers, but shattering the heads of children at point blank range was an act of total horror. Three days later, besieged in his apartment, after having explained for hours to a negotiator why he had chosen Jewish children, he launched a last attack but was riddled with bullets by the police. He instantly became a hero in all the Muslim French suburbs; the anti-Semitic dimension of his act just contributed to his fame.
For many months, his name, Mohammed Merah, was a rallying cry for Muslim youths. The press, meanwhile, described him as a "lone wolf" and "lost child".
When evidence accumulated showing that his brother, Abdelkader, an Islamist, had trained Mohammed and helped him prepare his butchery, he was arrested.
Abdelkader Merah's trial last month was as ugly as that of the "gang of barbarians", maybe even uglier. Abdelkader did not lose his temper. He expressed no regret. He calmly explained that jihad is a sacred duty for every Muslim; that he thought that his brother was "in paradise" and what the status of Jews is in the Koran. Mohammed and Abdelkader's mother, Zoulikha Aziri, testified that they were "good sons". Later, out of court, she said that "Allah orders Muslims to kill Jews". (Abdelkader's lawyer said that Abdelkader was not guilty of anything; that he was just a devout Muslim "practicing his religion", and that he himself considered it an "honor" to defend Abdelkader.
Abdelkader was sentenced to twenty years in prison. If there is no appeal, and if he is no longer violent, he will be released in eight years. Abdelkader, while in jail, may still do what he was doing before: proselytize and repeat what he said in court about jihad. When he is released, he may well not stop. He will most likely not be arrested again.
His mother may well repeat that Allah orders Muslims to kill Jews: the command is, she thinks, an integral part of her faith. She will not be accused of incitement to murder. Hundreds of thousands of men and women openly say what she says.
There are thousands of Abdelkader Merahs. Some are in prison, some are not. Not only are 70% of prisoners in France Muslims, but prisons are now the main recruiting centers for jihadists in France.
Calls to jihad can be heard from countless mosques throughout the country each week. A recent book, Partition, lists the addresses of 150 of them.
Incitement to kill Jews is frequent in the almost 600 no-go zones that exist in France. Leaflets stipulating "if you meet a Jew, kill him", were recently distributed in the Paris suburbs, near places where street prayers occur. "Death to Jews" and "Slit Jews' Throats" can increasingly be heard in organized street protests. Synagogues have been attacked in Paris, Sarcelles and Marseilles.
In the five years since Mohammed Merah's murders, French Muslims have attacked more Jews.
On May 24, 2014, Medhi Nemmouche, a gunman who had recently returned from Syria, opened fire in the Jewish Museum in Brussels and shot four people. On January 9, 2015, Amedy Coulibaly, a man who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, entered a kosher grocery store, took 19 people hostage, and shot four of them.
Recently, on April 4, 2017, a retired Jewish physician, Sarah Halimi, was viciously brutalized for an hour, then thrown off the balcony of her apartment. Her murderer, Kada Traore, who shouted "Allahu Akbar", was deemed "mentally ill" and sent to an asylum.
Two attacks had a large number of casualties: one on November 13, 2015 in Paris and Saint-Denis (130 killed), and the other on July 14, 2016 on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice (86 killed). A priest, Fr. Jacques Hamel, was knifed to death while saying Mass. A businessman was beheaded by one of his employees. A police officer was shot on the Champs-Élysées. It does not stop.
On October 1, 2017, two women were slain in front of the Marseille central railway station. The murder of most off the journalists and editors at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on January 7, 2015 (12 killed) led, three days later, to a huge demonstration in Paris, but indifference quickly returned.
In France, since 2012, more than 250 people were killed by Islamic terrorism, more than in all other European countries combined. In addition, no other country in Europe has experienced so many attacks against Jews. France is a country where Jews are murdered because they are Jews.
Every year, Jews flee France by the thousands. Those who do not emigrate move to cities and neighborhoods where they hope they will be able survive without risking aggression.
Many non-Jews live in fear and remain silent.
The government does almost nothing. A few times a year, its members ritually denounce "anti-Semitism", but never forget to mention that it comes from the "far right". They only denounce "radical Islam" when the facts are so blinding obvious that it is impossible to do otherwise. If they can, they prefer to talk about people who were "radicalized", without giving any details or explanation.
In August 2017, the Ministry of the Interior issued a statement that almost 300 jihadists were back from Syria and represent a risk. All of them could come back to France with French passports. None of them has been arrested.
In March 2015, the French intelligence services created a Report Card for the Prevention of Terrorist Radicalization (FSPRT); there are 15,000 names on it. Monitoring everyone would require nearly 160,000 police officers. Therefore, only a few dozen suspects, are under surveillance.
After France's November 2015 attacks, a state of emergency was declared. It consisted mainly of sending soldiers and police officers to railway stations and airports, and placing guards and sandbags in front of synagogues and Jewish schools. The state of emergency expired on November 1, 2017. It was replaced by a weak "anti-terrorism" law. Fewer soldiers and police officers will be deployed. "Security zones" will be created around events that appear "exposed to a terrorist risk", and police controls will stand near such events. These controls, however, already exist. "Places of worship" will be "visited" if it "seems" they disseminate "ideas that could lead to terrorism"; then they could be closed for six months. Many "places of worship" already disseminate "ideas that lead to terrorism"; they are still open. Legal texts omit words such as "radical Islam", "jihad" or "anti-Semitism". They also do not include words such as "mosque" or "search"; instead, they speak of "places of worship" and "visit". They also never define which "ideas" could "lead to terrorism".
Yaffa Monsonego, the mother of one of Mohammed Merah's victims, did not go to Abdelkader Merah's trial. Her daughter, Myriam, was eight-years-old when she was shot. Monsonego said in a mainstream television interview that attending the trial would have been of no use; that French justice will never live up to what she and other families of victims feel every day, and that she is certain more murders will happen.
A journalist said on radio that, by not naming and not fighting evil, France betrays all those who want to live safely, and abandons the country to those who are crushing it. He reminded his listeners that the presence of Islamic anti-Semitism in France is older than they could imagine, and mentioned a young disc jockey, Sebastien Sellam, murdered in Paris by his Muslim neighbor in 2003, just because he was a Jew. The journalist said the destruction of the plaque placed in memory of Ilan Halimi was a way of killing him a second time.
A few weeks ago, Luc Ravel, Archbishop of Strasbourg, said that those who run the country bury their heads in the sand; and that while Islamists are tried, the trial of radical Islam in France is not even considered. He added that all French political leaders know a population replacement is in progress that will quickly have much more serious consequences than those already evident today: "Muslim believers know very well what is happening. Only a minority is violent. But as a whole, they do not ignore that their birthrate is such that one day, everything here will be theirs".
Luc Ravel, Archbishop of Strasbourg, recently said that French political leaders know a population replacement is in progress that will quickly have much more serious consequences than those already evident today. (Image source: Peter Potrowl/Wikimedia Commons)
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, while in Abu Dhabi on November 8 to inaugurate a museum, said: "Those who want to make you believe that anywhere in the world, Islam is destroying other monotheisms and other cultures are liars who are betraying you".
On November 13, back in Paris to pay homage to the victims of the attacks two years earlier, Macron participated in a release of multicolored balloons, watched them float to the sky, then laid flowers where the victims were killed. The plaques state that they were "murdered", but not that they were victims of terrorism. Soon, the word "terrorism" could also disappear from France's vocabulary.
In Submission, a novel published on January 7, 2015, ironically the same day as the Charlie Hebdo murders, its author, Michel Houellebecq, foresaw that words would disappear, that Islamic terrorism would lead France toward submission, and that the Jews would leave the country. He was right.
**Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27 books on France and Europe.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Laundering Iran's Nukes - Again
A.J. Caschetta/Gatestone Institute/November 28/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11432/laundering-iran-nukes
While President Obama was busy concocting the fiction that "moderates" in the Iranian regime were worthy of our trust, he knew full well that he was offering concessions to co-conspirators in the 9/11 attacks. The Obama administration had evidence that Iran facilitated Al-Qaeda in numerous ways, but Congress and the American people were in the dark.
Obama gets to boast about his deal, but the people of the U.S. got almost nothing. Everyone knows that Iran will spend the money in ways contrary to American interests. Even John Kerry acknowledged that much of it would go towards supporting Iran's terrorist proxies.
The result is an emboldened Iran, with the "right to enrich" uranium.
Days away from the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, outgoing Secretary of State John Kerry boasted about the success of the Obama administration's signature foreign policy achievement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on putatively "preventing" Iran's nuclear capability. "In reaching and implementing this deal," Kerry said, "we took a major security threat off the table without firing a single shot."
On the contrary, anyone who examines the JCPOA closely and honestly will come to the conclusion that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the mullahs got just about everything they wanted, while the U.S. got a dubious promise of good behavior that expires after 10 years.
Anyone who closely and honestly examines the JCPOA "nuclear deal" with Iran will conclude that the Islamic Republic got just about everything they wanted, while the U.S. got a dubious promise of good behavior that expires after 10 years. Pictured: Then Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Geneva on January 14, 2015 for negotiations. (Image source: U.S. Mission Geneva/Flickr)
It has long been known that what Michael Doran called "Obama's Secret Iran Strategy" required the administration to exaggerate the "spirit of reform" in Iran and to keep details about the agreement secret from both Congress and the American public. Recently, however, two seemingly unrelated events demonstrated just how duplicitous the Obama administration was with the American public over its dealings with the Islamic Republic.
The first event occurred on October 31, at the "World Without Terrorism" convention held in Iran. At a press conference, Mohammad Ali Jafari, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), reminded the world that Iran's ballistic missiles, though limited to a range of 2,000 km, are still sufficient to target U.S. bases in the region, saying:
"Even though we have the capability to increase this range, in the meantime this range is enough for us, because the Americans are sufficiently situated within a 2,000 km radius around Iran. We will respond to them if they attack us."
One could argue quite sensibly that Iran should never have been permitted to retain any offensive missile program. However, that's not what happened. According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), in the early stages of negotiations, prior to the "Interim Agreement" of December 10, 2013, the U.S. team acquiesced to Iranian demands that missiles be excluded from the JCPOA. Then, in either a "secret," undisclosed part of the JCPOA or in an unwritten agreement, Iran agreed to a 2,000 km range limit on its ballistic missiles.
MEMRI reads Jafari's statement as serving both "a message of reassurance for Europe, which is beyond the 2,000 km range" while simultaneously signaling a threat to Israel, which is well within the range.
The second event shedding a ghastly light on Obama's rapprochement with Iran came just hours after Jafari's statement, on November 1, when the CIA declassified and released more of what the U.S. Navy SEALs took from Osama bin Laden's dingy lair in Abbottabad, Pakistan after they killed him on May 2, 2011. Among the 470,000 documents was a 19-page file written by one of bin Laden's lieutenants demonstrating the considerable cooperation between Iran and Al-Qaeda.
According to NBC News, two U.S. intelligence officials described the document as "evidence of Iran's support of al Qaeda's war with the United States."
This support included "money and arms," and it confirms the cozy relationship between Iran and Al-Qaeda hinted at by the 9/11 Commission Report. CIA Director Mike Pompeo said the document shows that "There have been relationships, there are connections. There have been times the Iranians have worked alongside Al-Qaeda."
Those who recall that Al-Qaeda and Iranian proxy Hezbollah cooperated in the 1996 attack on the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia will not be surprised to learn that Iran provided Al-Qaeda "training in Hezbollah camps in Lebanon, in exchange for striking American interests in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf," according to the 19-page file.
Of course, these files were not news to the Obama administration. Michael Rubin points out that "Obama and his CIA heads Leon Panetta, David Petraeus, John Brennan, and acting head Mike Morell released only what upheld and affirmed Obama's tenuous theories about Iran." While President Obama was busy concocting the fiction that "moderates" in the Iranian regime were worthy of our trust, he knew full well that he was offering concessions to co-conspirators in the 9/11 attacks.
A former CIA official chosen by Obama to be spokesman to the National Security Council, Ned Price, revealed even more than Pompeo did when he admitted that the newly-released documents "don't tell us anything we didn't already know." This is exactly the point: the Obama administration had evidence that Iran facilitated Al-Qaeda in numerous ways, but Congress and the American people were in the dark.
Weeks before the Obama State Department pushed through JCPOA, it seemed reasonable to compare the deal to a money-laundering operation enabling Iran to legitimize its illicit nuclear program simply by waiting 10 years for the agreement to expire -- after which there are no longer any constraints on its nuclear program. It is surely, as critics have pointed out, the most one-sided diplomatic agreement the U.S. has ever entered.
Obama gets to boast about his deal, but the people of the U.S. got almost nothing. The deal was front-loaded so that billions of dollars were given to the Iranian regime, including a $400 million ransom payment for four Americans held in Iran. Removal of strict sanctions brought in an estimated $700 million per month. Everyone knows that Iran will spend the money in ways contrary to American interests. Even John Kerry acknowledged that much of it would go towards supporting Iran's terrorist proxies.
The European nations got the illusion of safety behind the 2,000 km limit on Iran's missiles, but that safety-zone is only as good as the regime's promise. The end of the sanctions also gave European companies the opportunity for extensive new business deals with Iran. European industrial firms that manufacture inconel steel and other dual-use components necessary for assembling a nuclear weapon are undoubtedly happy. With the "strict" sanctions removed, European companies will be able to sell Iran the material and knowledge it needs without the subterfuge Saddam Hussein had required for Iraq's illicit nuclear weapons development.
Perhaps the biggest loser is Israel. It watched the maneuverings of the United States, its closest ally, make its most capable foe even more dangerous.
Upon leaving office, Obama had given away all the leverage the U.S. assembled since the Ayatollah Khomeini's "students" stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. The kindest interpretation of these events is that his judgment was blinded by his zeal to reach a grand bargain with Tehran. The result is an emboldened Iran, with the "right to enrich" uranium.
**A.J. Caschetta is a Shillman-Ginsburg fellow at the Middle East Forum and a senior lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Erdogan's Interesting New Top Mayors
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/November 28/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11437/erdogan-turkey-mayors
Istanbul's new mayor had been one of the lawyers defending Islamist arsonists in what is known as the "Sivas case".
They set the hotel alight, while policemen allegedly stood by and watched as 37 people were killed. The city's Islamist mayor refused to send firefighters to put out the blaze. The assault took eight hours, without any intervention from the police, military or fire department.
Ankara, Turkey's capital, has a population of about five million. Istanbul, the country's biggest city and commercial capital, has more than 15 million inhabitants. Turkey's top two cities have since 1994 been uninterruptedly run by elected mayors who feature various blends of religious conservatism, nationalism and Islamism. Recently, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thought it was time for a changing of the guard in both cities; but the change looks more like old wine in a new bottle.
Melih Gokcek, the eccentric nationalist and Islamist mayor of Ankara, a loyal devotee of Erdogan, has run the capital for 23 years. During his reign, he did not miss a single opportunity to get into verbal fights with half the Turkish nation in addition to "Turkey's foreign enemies." In 2014, during Israel's Operation Protective Edge, when large crowds of Turks regularly attacked Israel's diplomatic missions in Ankara and Istanbul -- with hundreds of angry Turks throwing rocks and trying to break into the diplomatic compounds -- Gokcek was quoted as saying: "We will conquer the despicable murderers' consulate".
In a television debate in 2015, Gokcek claimed that if he gets killed, Israel's Mossad should be held responsible. In August 2016, he claimed that the United States had subcontracted Israel to perform seismic tests to cause earthquakes in and around Turkey. In October 2016, he once again claimed that the earthquakes in Turkey were the work of the U.S. and Israel -- conspiracies plotted against Turkey by foreign powers.
In February 2017 Gokcek claimed that the mild earthquake off Canakkale province on Turkey's northern Aegean coast was the work of foreign powers who wanted to topple Erdogan's government. He called on the Turkish Armed Forces to take measures on the Aegean Sea. "At the moment," he said, "The planned conspiracy against Turkey is to cause economic collapse by means of an earthquake in Istanbul". Recently, in September, Gokcek, in his Twitter account, called on Muslim believers to pray that disasters worse "than the Irma and Harvey hurricanes" take place.
All that usual "more royalist than the royals" behavior did not help him keep his seat. Erdogan pressed for the resignation of a number of mayors in his party, including the mayors of Ankara and Istanbul, and Gokcek grudgingly had to step down. Who ideally should replace the man loved by religious fanatics but hated by liberals and seculars?
Erdogan's party administration, under the president's orders, "elected" a district mayor, Mustafa Tuna, already running a township of Ankara, Sincan, with barely 500,000 inhabitants. Ostensibly, the selection of a quiet man with a degree from a U.S. university to be the mayor of Ankara does not tell much. But in Turkey there are always the semantics of Islamist politics.
Sincan is not an ordinary district. It is associated with (sometimes militant) forms of political Islam. The township is a stronghold for right-wing clubs, Islamic sects, and Islamist political parties. This came to light most famously in the political crisis of February 1997, when the tanks of the then-secular military rolled through the district as a warning to the people to respect the secular principles enshrined in the Turkish constitution.
More recent incidents included pouring green paint over the statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the central square (Ataturk was the founder of modern Turkey and the architect of its secular regime; green is the color often associated with Islamic jihad). Another incident that drew the ire of the then secular military was the staging of a "Quds [Jerusalem] Evening" by the Sincan Municipality. Leading militant Islamist figures were invited, as well as Iran's ambassador, to the event in which children were seen waging "jihad" while dressed in militant attire and holding fake rifles and bombs.
Istanbul is a different story, but leads to the same conclusion. The outgoing mayor, Kadir Topbas, often gave the impression that he was a mild, pro-peace conservative, refraining from radical talk like that of Ankara's Gokcek. Topbas quickly bowed to Erdogan's pressure and quietly resigned. As in Ankara, city council members, dominated by Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), chose a district mayor, Mevlut Uysal, as Istanbul's new mayor. While Turks from Istanbul and elsewhere were expecting the new mayor to allow public debate on the pressing problems of this ailing city, Uysal chose rudely to remind the nation what it wanted to forget. Uysal, Istanbul's new mayor, had been one of the lawyers defending Islamist arsonists in what is known as the "Sivas case".
Istanbul's outgoing mayor, Kadir Topbas (left), often gave the impression that he was a mild, pro-peace conservative, refraining from radical talk. Recently, Topbas bowed to pressure from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and quietly resigned. (Image source: WRI Türkiye Sürdürülebilir Şehirler/Flickr)
Sivas Massacre
On a hot July day in 1993, a group of Turkish intellectuals, mostly Alevis, including prominent writers, musicians, poets and artists, had gathered for a cultural festival at the downtown Hotel Madimak in the central Anatolian city of Sivas. The happy troupe had gathered there to commemorate the 16th-century Alevi poet, Pir Sultan Abdal. Among the intellectuals was one of Turkey's most famous writers and humorists, Aziz Nesin, author of more than 100 books, translated into more than 30 languages. Not long before the assembly in Sivas, and sparking outrage from Islamist groups, Nesin had begun to translate Salman Rushdie's controversial novel, The Satanic Verses into Turkish.
On July 2, shortly after Friday prayers, thousands of devout Sunni Muslims marched to the Hotel Madimak. Chanting "Allahu Akbar" (in Arabic, "Allah is the Greatest"), they broke through the weak police barricades surrounding the hotel. When they reached it, they set it alight, while policemen allegedly stood by and watched. The city's Islamist mayor refused to send firefighters to put out the blaze. The assault took eight hours, without any intervention from the police, military or fire department. When what would later be internationally known as the "Sivas massacre" ended and the mob dispersed, 35 people, mostly Alevi intellectuals as well as a Dutch anthropologist, were killed, along with two hotel employees. Two of the arsonists also died.
In the following days, 190 people were arrested and charged with "attempting to establish a religious state by changing the constitutional order." After a trial, 33 suspects were sentenced to death, 99 received between 28 months and 15 years, and 37 were acquitted.
As Turkey later (in 2002) abolished the death penalty, the death sentences were commuted. Each defendant received 35 life sentences, one for each murder victim, and additional time for other crimes. These 33 convicts who ended up with life sentences -- except one who died in prison -- are currently the only ones still serving time for their crimes; the other defendants were paroled early or released after completing their sentences. In March 2012, due to the statute of limitations, the Sivas massacre case against five remaining defendants was dropped.
That Uysal, Istanbul's new mayor, was one of the lawyers defending the arsonists in the trial is not surprising in Erdogan's increasingly Islamist Turkey. But in humanitarian matters, Islamists never cease to shock. Speaking to the press, Uysal said that he has never regretted defending the arsonists in Sivas. "It is my opinion that both those who lost their lives there and the defendants were the victims," he said. So, the man simply thinks that no one was to blame for the loss of life. In Islamist Turkey, this kind of sick thinking always receives a reward.
**Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from Turkey's leading newspaper after 29 years, for writing what was taking place in Turkey for Gatestone. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
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Why Mohammed bin Salman described Khamenei as ‘Hitler of the Middle East’
Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/November 28/17
In his interview with the New York Times, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described Iranian guide Ali Khamenei as the new Hitler of the Middle East. This description briefly reflects the Saudi command’s vision of the nature of conflict with Iran and the basic strategy to confront its threats – a strategy that relies on a full confrontation and not containment and concessions. Hitler’s story with Europe has turned into a lesson in history and politics as it taught us that soft diplomacy is not always the right way to end conflicts, especially with enemies who adopt evil ideology that does not recognize the logic of dialogue and refuse cooperation to achieve an aim, which is completely subjugating others and imposing control. This is what Hitler almost did as he was about to completely swallow Europe due to the lenient policy of containment. However, historical figures like Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt confronted him as they were brave and wise enough to realize the imminent threat of this Nazi dictator. Thus, they saved Europe from the cultural gap that it was going to fall into. This is why some historians think Churchill was one of the greatest figures of the past century as he’s given up on the policy of dialogue and containment and decided to confront the Nazi threat despite his country’s weak status at the time. Churchill was the opposite of his predecessor Neville Chamberlain who made concessions to the German dictator to please his ego and safeguard against his evil designs. Chamberlain’s approach, however, only increased Hitler’s brutality.
The Iranian regime does not differ from Nazi Germany or any totalitarian regime with expansive ambitions
Political and moral weakness
Chamberlain’s name became a symbol of political and moral weakness while the Munich Agreement, which he signed, became an example of a diplomatic catastrophe. Chamberlain who experienced the tragedies of World War I avoided a world war with Nazi Germany by shamefully submitting to Hitler’s demand to divide Czechoslovakia under the excuse that citizens with German origins were being unjustly treated. Britain’s prime minister was humiliated twice and he met with Hitler in an attempt to absorb his greed. After signing the ill-fated treaty, he proudly said: “We honorably signed the peace treaty in our era.” Chamberlain believed Hitler’s promises that the Sudetenland region, which was the most advanced on the financial and industrial levels in Czechoslovakia, will be the last thing he asks for to avoid war and make peace. He signed the agreement after convincing France of it and left Czech to face its fate alone. In a letter to his sister, Chamberlain wrote: “Despite the brutality I saw in his face (Hitler’s) and felt that if this man makes a promise, he keeps it.” The agreement was called “Munich’s treason” and turned into a nightmare that haunted him till his death. It was a black mark that tarnished his reputation forever. It also became a tough life lesson. It is interesting that his decision at the time was popular. People and the media viewed him as a hero who prevented a massive war in his country and Europe. Although he responded to their demands, they later criticized him and described him as naïve. After all, a real leader may sometimes act against the popular will, particularly during critical times, and take tough and upsetting decisions.
Writing history
Churchill later mocked him and wrote: “Poor Neville will come badly out of history. I know because I shall write that history.” It turned out that Hitler manipulated him as his aim of signing the agreement was gain time to prepare his troops as six months later he fully occupied Czechoslovakia and annexed Poland. After that he continued to swallow European countries, one after the other. The Saudi crown prince recalled an important part of history to put the Iranian threat in its right context. The Iranian regime does not differ from Nazi Germany or any totalitarian regime with expansive ambitions. Containment to it means weakness and gradual surrender and it only increases its greed. This is what the Obama administration did when it signed the nuclear agreement for the purpose of integrating it with the world order. All the agreement did was worsening its ego and brutality. The strategy of the “new Hitler” is close to Hitler’s regime. It is based on the policy of divisions inside Arab and Islamic countries by claiming it defends persecuted segments. It then infiltrates the country and extends its influence. We have seen this in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. It also uses propaganda, as per totalitarian regimes’ traditional approach, to spread lies which followers and sympathizers market to depict a semi-democratic image of a regime that calls for peace and rapprochement when in fact it is an invading power that supports terrorist militias and uses fake religious slogans to market itself. It is also a tyrannical regime that relies on an extremist ideology and adopts the doctrine of recruitment and blind obedience. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s description of Khamenei as “the new Hitler” is a reminder to western countries and Arabs of the failed policy of containment as learnt from Chamberlain’s experience, which many seem to have forgotten when it almost changed the face of the world forever.

Supporting Mohammed bin Salman vital for checking Iran, fighting extremism
Ted Gover/Al Arabiya/November 28/17
The momentous change instituted in Saudi Arabia by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in recent weeks has surprised and unnerved many. The measures taken by the 32-year-old Crown Prince are breathtaking in their scale and unprecedented in Saudi Arabia. Under the auspices of an anti-corruption drive, Mohammed bin Salman has detained a number of Saudi princes, ministers, former ministers, media owners, tycoons, intellectuals and influential clerics while seizing their assets. These moves are an attempt by Mohammed bin Salman to create a unitary executive that will allow him to take on big ticket items in the foreign policy and domestic realms, many involving important reform. Common interests oblige Washington to support his efforts of forcing change on the many deep-rooted issues facing the kingdom while also working with him to implement sustainable political reform.
The menace of Iran as well as the prospects for curbing the export of hateful ideology require the US to support Mohammed bin Salman
Iran
Much to the detriment of Saudi Arabia and the US, Iran is ascendant. It has successfully kept Bashar al-Asad in power in Syria, enabled Hezbollah’s political dominance in Lebanon, fomented unrest in Bahrain, contributed to the defeat of ISIS in Iraq through Tehran-backed paramilitary groups (who still remain on Iraqi soil) and armed to much effect Shiite Houthi rebels in the Yemeni civil war. Beyond this, Iran’s nuclear program remains intact. Mohammed bin Salman is trying to turn this around. He has been tough on Iran, accusing it of trying to dominate the Middle East, while working to build on the bond developed between his father and President Trump in their efforts to restrain Tehran. He has also taken on Iran-backed Hezbollah. Mohammed bin Salman is spearheading Vision 2030, a plan to modernize the economy that involves research and development spanning biomedical, artificial intelligence, drones and robots as well as the building of a new $500 billion city to support these efforts. The new city will also be a place of entertainment where men and women can mix publicly without the interference of authorities.
Fossil fuels
These and other initiatives – steering Riyadh away from reliance on fossil fuels; privatizing state-owned companies; allowing women to drive – are part of Mohammed bin Salman’s efforts to remake Saudi Arabia’s economy and society. In his sweep of arrests, some of the most troublesome of clerics were also locked away. This, in addition to his bold October 24 promise to destroy “extremist ideologies” and return Saudi Arabia to “a more moderate Islam.”Yet, the menace of Iran as well as the prospects for curbing the export of hateful ideology require the US to support Mohammed bin Salman. All this while working with him to do more toward protecting the political rights of Saudi citizens and advancing the rule of law.

Abadi’s fate in six months
Adnan Hussein/Al Arabiya/November 28/17
Last week, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s office said that he checked an electoral registration office in Baghdad and took his polling card.
The announcement did not only aim to urge people to register and get their polling cards but also indicated that Abadi is determined to hold the upcoming elections scheduled after six months, mid-May of 2018, and run for a second premiership term. Abadi’s path to a second term is clear and it seems guaranteed. The supporting circumstances to secure this second term were never available to those who preceded him as premiers. The number of armed forces and security forces is now increasing and their votes, which is known as the “special voting”, will definitely go to the prime minister since the latter is also the general commander of the armed forces. Abadi’s success at liberating all areas occupied by ISIS made him very popular. This popularity increased – outside the Kurdistan region – amid the crisis with the region regarding the referendum. Abadi is now seeking to benefit from all this to win a second term and form a cabinet that has a comfortable political base. He frequently said that he looks forward to establish a national coalition that goes beyond sectarianism and nationalism.The road is actually paved in front of him as in the past three years, many developments broke the political formula, which lasted since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003, and which is based on political-partisan shares that are disguised under sectarian-nationalist slogans. Iraq’s stability and achieving sustainable development during the phase after ISIS greatly rely on the relation between Baghdad and Erbil
The governance formula
During the last phase, the governance formula in Baghdad was based on the Shiite-Sunni-Kurdish axis. A coalition between Shiite parties, another between Sunni parties and a third between Kurdish parties was formed.
These coalitions controlled power and money in Baghdad and specified the fate of the entire political process by a consensus and by violating the constitution at several occasions.There was a fourth parallel coalition that was neither sectarian nor nationalist. It was the National Iraqi Alliance, which was not efficient enough, because others weakened it of course, and it was thus neither part of governance nor part of the opposition. The sharing system and consensus policy failed miserably in managing Iraq and all the four coalitions acknowledge it. This is in addition to what Iraq’s miserable security, economic and social situation reveals as one third of its area fell under the control of ISIS the war against whom has not fully ended yet. Now after this system of governance reached a dead end, efforts are underway to work in another direction. Parties no longer make traditional agreements. Shiite parties are no longer united as they divided, like what happened with the State of Law Coalition (Abadi’s and Maliki’s wings) and with the Supreme Council of Iraq whose defecting members formed the National Wisdom Movement. Al-Ahrar bloc (the Sadrist) also completely withdrew from the (Shiite) national coalition. The same happened with the Kurds as the Gorran Movement and Kurdistan Islamic Movement dissociated themselves from the Kurdish alliance. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which was a major power in the Kurdish coalition, is confronting fragmentation, which began during the era of its founder and late leader Jalal Talabani. Sunni powers have been the most fragmented ever since ISIS invaded Sunni areas and displaced millions of citizens from their cities that were destroyed during the war, which Iraqi forces fought to liberate them from the terrorist group’s control. Sunnis are extremely angry at their leaders as they think they are interested in securing their influence and are involved in financial and administrative corruption.
The best chance
Therefore, this is the best chance to form a coalition that goes beyond sectarianism and nationalism. Abadi in particular has the chance to do as he is the head of the executive authority and his acceptability in and outside Iraq is steadily progressing. The most popular Shiite party, the Sadrist movement led by Muqtada al-Sadr, recently voiced its support of him publicly. According to some information, there is a possibility of agreements being forged with other Shiite powers, Kurdish powers and new Sunni powers which emerged when ISIS occupied Iraqi cities. An agreement of some sort will likely be established with the National Iraqi Alliance led by Ayad Allawi. These agreement’s requirements are establishing a governance formula (of coalitions) that is different than the formula of solely making decisions. This latter approach was adopted by previous governments and it somehow continued to exist during the current government’s term. What is certain that Abadi will increase his chances of managing an (national) expanded coalition and win a second term if he implements what he vowed to do in the past weeks: combat administrative and financial corruption and restore the funds which were stolen over the course of 14 years and which are estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. This is very important and addressing this matter is one of the most urgent and popular demands. However, Abadi faces an obstacle here as most corruption operations were and continue to be managed by leaders of parties that are influential in authority. Most of them are also Islamic. By opening this corruption file, Abadi will be like those who are stepping in a nest of wasps. The same will happen when it comes to discussing the matter of arms outside the context of the state and implementing the law. The other important point is relations between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region. Iraq’s stability and achieving sustainable development during the phase after ISIS greatly rely on the relation between Baghdad and Erbil. Tensions will weigh heavily on the entire Iraqi situation.
Erbil made mistakes and so did Baghdad. The way Abadi will address this problem will play a role in specifying the nature of the next government and Iraq’s fate for the next four years.

Syria: Moment of truth in Geneva
Christian Chesnot/Al Arabiya/November 28/17
Will the new Geneva round of negotiations, under the supervision of the UN, finally help to break the political impasse over the future of Syria? Clearly, the crisis is entering a new phase as the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, supported by Russia, continues to gain traction. The West and Gulf countries that supported the opposition have moved on from the idea of wiping out the regime. Everyone is tired of the Syrian crisis that has resulted in nearly 350,000 deaths. Undoubtedly, the time has come to end a dark chapter in Syrian history. The good news is that the Syrian opposition has finally managed to form a united front to negotiate with Damascus. On account of political immaturity, ego squabbles and foreign interference, anti-Assad groups often shot themselves in the foot.
Three–pronged approach
At this stage, Russia is leading the way towards finding a political solution through serious negotiations between the regime and the opposition. To this end, Moscow needs legitimacy from the international community to bring about the final settlement. It is a process that is built on three distinct tracks: the inter-Syrian political discussions in Geneva, the military discussions in Astana and finally, future discussions between Syrian religious and ethnic communities that would meet in a ‘national dialogue congress’. The aim is that these three lines of negotiations end up in congruence and reach a solution.In the first stage at the Geneva deliberations, Russia does not intend to abandon Bashar Al-Assad. Only a few years ago, the prospect that the Syrian president would finish his term in 2021 would have been considered unrealistic and fanciful. Today, it is the most likely outcome. However, all sides are well aware that it is not possible to return to the situation before March 2011.
Syrians have suffered a lot. They aspire to find peace, rebuild their country and to discover a way by which they could live together again. Other people also suffered great tragedies and have risen from the rubble of the war. Why should Syria be an exception? For the moment, the Syrian opposition is standing firm on its position that Bashar Al-Assad should cede power at the end of the transition period, if not at the very outset. However, there are opportunities to explore in UN Resolution 2254, which calls for the establishment of a "credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance" in Syria. This formula offers a real negotiating framework. It allows the inclusion of opponents in a cabinet with members of the regime. Obviously, the two sides hold fairly divergent positions, if not irreconcilable ones. But this is the case in all conflicts and is typical to every negotiation.
Everything will depend on the external pressure exerted on the protagonists. What is left is to imagine the constitutional architecture of the future of Syria. In this respect, we can trust experts on all sides to propose institutional formulas. Nothing is ideal, as the examples of Lebanon (Taif Accords) or Bosnia and Herzegovina (Dayton Accords) have shown.
End to over-centralized rule in Syria
What is certain is that it is difficult to imagine the continuation of the erstwhile centralized governance of Assad. All sides agree that the territorial unity of the country should be preserved. Lessons from the fiasco of Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence vote have also been well understood by the Syrian Kurds. However, the new constitutional system will have to allow a measure of autonomy to Syrian provinces and regions. Both the opposition and the regime must understand that Kurds can legitimately claim a degree of decentralization in the Syrian state. The regime’s negotiators must understand that being impervious to all opposition demands would be counterproductive and would only prolong the crisis. For its part, the opposition must understand that it is no longer able to dictate its terms. They will have to be realistic. Syrians have suffered a lot. They aspire to find peace, rebuild their country and to discover a way by which they could live together again. Other people also suffered great tragedies and have risen from the rubble of the war. Why should Syria be an exception?